Living with Vampires
by Kankurosnumber1girl
Summary: Who expects that when they go outside they wind up in the 1800s with vampires and other creatures of the night lurking about? Not Lily Cartwright, yet it happened to her and this is her story. (I own nothing but oc characters. Lestat, Louis, Claudia etc. Do not own. May get higher rating later)


"It's the twenty first century and people still don't know that we have something called a heater?" Bonnie said as she pulled her long sleeved period costume on quickly to warm herself up. Gillian came up from behind her and helped with Bonnie's hair pins that wished to fall out of her hair and be free.

"It's an old theater. They don't have much money. Only enough to keep the audience content, but if this series of shows goes great then the theater can afford the improvements. Already ticket sales are going up." Gillian replied as she busily went to help the next actress in the dressing room for extras.

"I still can't believe that you were able to get me to agree to this." Gillian swiveled her head to the sound of her best friend Lily. Who at the time was fiddling with her costume for the play she had but a minor role in. The play was a period peace and yes that meant uncomfortable costumes that you had to pretend that they weren't as constricting as they truly were. But that was not the reason that Lily fiddled with her costume in such agitated fashion. No, the reason was that she hated to perform like this with the speaking of lines and the actions required for acting. She was a dancer for Pete's sake the only thing she knew about acting was stage direction.

"Quit complaining Lil. You got a trip to New Orleans out of the deal and you only have two lines and for the most part you just stand there and then you can leave. Simple as that." Gillian was quick to amend.

"And when those parts are done I am heading out of here." Lily said grabbing her prop a tray with wine glasses. She had to put the grape juice in before the curtain was about to be drawn.

"Going home so soon?" Bonnie asked while expertly applying her lipstick.

"Not yet. There are some places I want to visit first before time is lost today and I still have vacation time left and I plan to enjoy it." Lily answered pouring the rich red juice into the crystal glasses made to shatter without pain to the one they were to be shattered upon. Bonnie meanwhile was modeling in front of the mirror admiring how the dress accented the size of her breasts desirably. If the leering looks of the men were any indication that is. For Lily it just made her A cups look alright.

"I think I might have to keep the corset. Might land me a man yet."

"I would rather be comfortable than be forced to wear these every day." Lily said already feeling short breathed.

"You're just upset that you don't have my jugs." Bonnie said giving them a generous shake. Spurting laughter from the others in the room. "Ugh!" More laughter was ensured except for Bonnie who had tripped over a pair of shoes on the ground of the dressing room. "Lily! Your stupid shoes tripped me again!"

"Sorry Bonnie." Lily moved over to help by taking her shoes off of the ground and put them into her prop bag that could be tied to the waist of her dress. Promptly at this time Gillian checked everyone's costumes and make up one last time before sending them on their way to the stage.

"Okay everyone remember this is the real deal not a rehearsal. I want to see that everyone does their best and make this theater and yourselves proud. And remember those of you who play the guests you are to enter from stage right not left. Alright? Let's make it happen people!" A flourish of the hands and the actors and actresses were swept up to their spots and readily went onto the stage at their respective cues.

The stage was set in a time long since passed in the city of New Orleans a time of ladies in lovely long dresses. Of aristocracy and nobility. The lovely side of the crescent city so beloved to be made into plays. The play goes on into the late afternoon where the sun was setting in all its majesty of red and gold befitting of that great and beautiful city of the majestic south. The play was a success and the players all were allowed to leave the theater. But sadly one stayed behind to help clean up. It was much later when she was allowed to leave. Lily straightened the sign once more on the wall before stretching her stiff muscles as much as she could while still in costume. About to enter in order to change she stopped at the sudden sound of breaking glass. The sounds lead her to a shop at the corner of the street. Two men ran out of the shop fast and furious. The darkness of the night and the way that they hid themselves from sight as best as they could leads one to realize that it is not a good sign. Quickly Lily entered the establishment to see if anyone was hurt. Inside she found an elder man clutching his side were blood was dripping as he lay on the floor in obvious pain. Hastily she ran to his aid and cursed herself for not having brought her cell with her and instead having only a pair of shoes. To her luck there was a phone behind the counter that she used to call for help. Once that had been done the girl went to the side of the old man to see what she could do.

"Sir, I have called the police and for an ambulance they will be here any minute. Is there anything else I can do to help you?" She made sure to keep her voice at level knowing that it helped to keep someone calm when they have been harmed by a blade. For fast beating hearts do not help when one has been shot. Calm is the key.

"Mina, Mina." The man said his eyes wildly looking around.

"Is Mina your wife?"

"My-my daughter she went out to get…to get supplies for the s-shop. She…she needs to know what happened." He tried to get up, but found himself doubled over in pain from the wound.

"Sir I will see to it that she knows what happened to you. But right now I need you to relax and stay calm, okay?" he nodded and laid back on the ground holding on to Lily's hand till the emergency care came and took him to the hospital at that time a young woman appeared her arms loaded with packages yelling at the police about what had happened. Remembering her words to the old man she just helped. She moved towards her uncertainty resting in her stomach as to how she could possible tell this woman that her father had been stabbed. "Are you Mina?" She asked meekly.

The woman looked at her making Lily feel like a mouse in the face of a hawk.

"I am. And who might you be?"

"My name is Lily Cartwright; I was the one who found your father…"

"What happened to my fath'r?!" She yelled her eyes wide with panic.

"He was stabbed. He's heading to the hospital now; I was the one who called for help. I stayed with him till the ambulance came." Mina's eyes softened a bit but grew large again when her mind whirled the memory that her father had just been stabbed.

"I hav' to get in ta store." She began to shove her way through but a policeman stopped her telling her they only needed a few more minutes to process the scene and then she could go inside. Lily turned to leave since the police had finished with her and she saw no reason for her to stay.

"Wait! You must stay." Mina reached out to Lily keeping her from leaving. "I have to give you some t'in. For helping my fath'r."

"Oh you don't have to do anything like that."

"I insist. It would be unwise not to reward good behav'or." Mina would not budge and Lily realized that it would be best to stay for a little while longer. The night was setting in when the two women were allowed inside and the police had left. Mina put her packages on the counter and hurried to the back of the store. Asking for Lily to take a seat and wait. Lily took a look at the store.

It was an odd little shop made up to the nines in this and that sort of items. Antique chairs, tables and china from Europe. Masks and other worldly styled knick knacks from places far from where she stood now. Places she wondered if she would ever visit. It was a warm and inviting atmosphere. Similar to one that you could get when going through the attic of your house knowing you were going to find something amazing. The shop she would have concluded as a seller of antiquities, but when she took in the side wall that could be seen by the doorway to the back. Rows of strange herbs were being dried and jars scattered about containing things she was unsure of as to what was stored in them. While pondering on this Mina came out holding on to a tea tray with two glasses and a cooled pitcher of lemonade. There was something small in her hands. So small that it was unknown to Lily as to what it was. Mina sat in the chair opposite and gave a long hard look to the girl who sat before her. The tea tray set on one coffee table made of sturdy oak.

"You pick very appropriate attire for this shop. Many of these items here were once a part of da those times." Lily questioned what she had meant by her attire being appropriate when she recalled the period costume she had still been in since the afternoon. The dress had amazingly not gotten any blood or damage to it. It was still in as good a form as it was supposed to be. A shade of green deep like that of darkened emerald with fringes of black lace. It was quite at home with the walnut and gold fabric chairs.

"I was in a play at the theater down the street. Haven't had to time to change back into my normal clothes. Don't you want to go to the hospital and see how your father's doing?" Lily said once more fiddling with her costume. Mina did not seemed fazed and by her fidgeting and went straight to pouring the pitcher's contents into the glasses.

"He will be fine. I just sent a prayer up for him. Thank you again for staying with my fath'r. Those possedes better watch the slap if I ever find dem." She said as she gave the glass to her guest. Who took it politely and sipped it careful not to spill it on the dress. "I am glad he was not alone and you were der to get him help. Most would have left him to rot and suffer, but not you. Which is why you shall have dis." She unfolded her hand with the grace of a magnolia. On her palm laid a pouch. Simple as that. Brown cloth tied up with a dark black string. Mina leaned forward and Lily followed taking the bag from Mina's hand. "This is a special gift. A powerful gift. This is gris-gris. As long as you keep it on your person den you shall always be protected from forces of this life and da next."

"Thank you." Lily responded fingering bag before she placed it over her head.  
What do you mean by forces from this life and the next?"

"I mean what I have said. There is more to this world than what we see in daylight. Keep dat in mind when you head home." Lily feeling a twinge of fear at what the woman was implying excused herself by thanking Mina for the gift and lemonade. She exited the door into the dark streets. Each step she took while walking the streets grew darker and darker making it harder for her to see. More or less she blindly went on. Each sound seemed to be amplified even the sound of her shoes on the pavement. She jumped at the yowl of an alley cat and immediately scolded herself for getting jumpy. She stopped at where she knew the theater would have been and when the lights shined through there was no theater.

"What the hell?!" She cursed. Quickly she looked up and down the street believing that she may have just missed the theater by one building off, but found none in sight. She took a few steps back the way she came and found that the shop she had been in not a few minutes ago was gone. The building was there, but the shop window wasn't broken and it read _Armlong Brother's Esquire._ Panic was setting itself in her ribs in the form of rapid heart beating, but her mind grasping the need to stay sharp went off in search of the police or someone who could give her directions and hope they don't ask about the dress. Not noticing that someone was following her with hungry eyes.

The eyes followed her well taking in every reaction that passed over her face and every move she made walking down the boulevard scared and alone. Oh this one the eyes thought will make an excellent plaything for tonight and only tonight.

Lily soon found that her dress would not be a problem as all the other people she saw on the next street had similar ones. 'What is going on?' she thought.

"Pardon me." The voice startled her forcing her to turn sharply at the sound of a man behind her. "I am so sorry." He said with a smile charming and deadly the kind the scorpion gave to the frog. Lily observed the man. He was a smooth skinned Adonis. Long blonde hair framed his face well accenting the unnatural beauty of all that was his. Even his lips though they appeared a bit large for his face all screamed sensuality for Lily. The sensuality of touch and desire amongst the soft petals that by any other name would be his lips. These feelings did not ease her worries. Not in any way. There was something about this beautiful creature, this Alluring creature that put her on edge. Something that gave her the impression of not placing trust in him. Yet her eyes would not leave his. "I can see that you are lost. Perhaps I can help you find your way again?"

"I'm sure I can find my own way. Thank you anyway." She said but did not yet move. The man not seeming fazed in the least by this reaction tried again.

"It is unwise to travel the streets alone at this time of night. There are those who are unsavory when a woman is about and night offers the perfect cover for these undesirables." They may mean him, Lily thought. Her mind latched on to the defense side of the conversation.

"I think I can manage." She would have moved had the man not taken her by the arm and refused to let go with strength unknown to mortal man. The eyes, the unnatural eyes were all that she knew in a world grown dark. The words a mocking lullaby. "I don't think you can mon Cherie. I know you can't."

When the dark faded enough for lamp light to shine through and brighten the world. Lily found herself in a home. Not her hotel room. Not the theater. Not her home. But someone's home. The jacket of her dress lay next to her head on the arm of the lounge chair she rested on. Quickly she looked and found the rest of her dress still on her and none of it torn. The gris-gris bag still hung about her neck swaying with the movements of her body. "So protection charm you turned out to be." She whispered to it. The charm's pace slowed as if saddened by the words spoken to it. A slow and deliberate sort of swinging. Like a depressed person who was forcing the appearance of being happy. Even though the charm had not worked. She did not cast it off like yesterday's garbage. She kept it on thinking that it wouldn't do much harm to just keep it as a souvenir and reminder should she survive the ordeal she had now been placed in. The house was decked in the finest of furniture made of finely crafted wood. The floors smoothed and polished to give no hint of dust even had settling on it. Persian and oriental rugs hung about like great tapestries of old stone towers. The most exquisite chandelier of glass and crystal hung above her head even with the lights off it twinkled in the dim light of the lamps. No one else was in the room, but the breathing human girl named Lily.

She rose carefully from the seat. Noticing she was not cloudy eyed or vision impaired. He had not used drugs to steal her away at least she did not think that was the case as she wasn't suffering the effects of having been drugged.

What was she doing here? Was she going to be killed? Sold into a prostitution ring? Used as a drug mule for armed mercenaries? So many different scenarios popped through her head each resulting in more than horrid ends. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she had not heard the sound of the ornate door behind her creak open. The figure that had opened the door was surprised to see the girl was awake and walking in the room. But knew she would not be for long as his companion's plans for her would snuff out the flame of her life. His guilt was reaching him again as he observed her. She was different from the others. She knew that evil had befallen her. The others they were played with in torturous ways before succumbing to death's door. This one there was no fooling her. Playing as his companion would like to call it would not be possible tonight.

"Who are you?" She asked softly keeping her distance from the new man before her. This man she took note was handsome like the other man. But his was a way far different from the other. His was a softer beauty. His hair dark and long pulled away from the bleached bone skin and soul engorging green eyes. The face, the face was not exactly sensual but it could be used to help describe it as such. The face was kind, tortured and above all it was human. Human being emotioned, not being. He walked with the grace of a noble man to the girl brought by his companion Lestat. To ease the pain of her oncoming death he felt it best to be as gentile as possible to ease the burden on her heart.

"I am Louis de Pointe du Lac." He bowed at the waist. "If I may ask for your name?" his velvet smooth southern voice asked. Lily hesitant at first but eased by the nature of Louis responded.

"My name is Lily Cartwright." She did a small bow to the man to show her respect as he had shown her.

"Where are you from Ms. Cartwright? I can tell you are not from New Orleans." He said offering her to seat. She sat and then he sat in the chair across from her.

"It's the accent right? Gives me away every time." Her joke was forced but Louis smiled softly to ease her still. "I'm from Ohio."

"The northern territories. You are far from home." Louis replied. He was struck dumb at the look she gave him. As if she didn't understand what he had said.

"The northern territories? What year is it?" she asked confused obviously since she had repeated a place she claimed to have come from and had forgotten the year.

"1820." He answered but felt that perhaps he should not have. Her whole face fell in and the phases of her face read as this: Shock, uncertainty, disillusion and then realization dawning on a dark horizon. He gave her a moment to come to terms with whatever it was that she was battling on the inside.

"This is impossible." She whispered unaware that it was within Louis's hearing range.

"What is impossible?" He asked genuinely interested in her exclamation.

"You wouldn't believe me if I were to tell you. I know this because I don't even believe it myself and yet it is the truth."

"Humor me and tell me anyway."

"When I woke up this morning the year was 2013. Now I have found that it is the year 1820. Sounds screwy doesn't it?"

"Fashion in the future is the same as it is now?"

"I was in play before all this happened. That sounds even more ridiculous to me. I'm a horrible actress, I don't even know how I went through with it, But if Gillian hadn't…They probably know that I am gone by now. They may never find me…" Her eyes glistened with the promise of tears to come moving the dead heart of Louis. He would have reached out to her, to comfort her, but the devil made his appearance. Lestat had arrived in all the trimmings of his fashion. Claudia his adopted daughter was in tow holding a new doll that she did love so. Good god Louis thought. He was doing it again. Lestat was going to have Claudia enjoy the killing and this girl would suffer for his enjoyment.

"Ah Louis I see you have met our guest. I hope you introduced yourself and left my introduction for myself." He slithered into the room aiming for Lily. Lily did not look scared by his unnatural grace, but hurt and angry. "I am Lestat de Lioncourt." He did a bow fooling no one about his sincerity. "I trust I can be given your name."

"A man who kidnaps a woman and traps her in their home should only expect a broken nose in return." Claudia giggled as a child does in situations like this and Lestat was caught slightly off guard but was not rattled by her blunt reply.

"Papa, can I have this one?" Claudia bounced in place gripping onto Lestat's shirt sleeve. Lestat was not one to deny his daughter anything that she truly wanted gestured for her to take the first bite. Claudia frowns and Lestat's brow furrows at the face of Claudia. "I don't mean like that." She shakes her head lightly with dancer's grace. "I want a sister. A big sister. I want her to be my big sister." She smiles at Lily and waves cutely. Giving Lily a small flutter of warmth in her heart. Lestat had the small bridge of reluctance to do as his daughter asked, but the pleading eyes and upturned pouting lip of Claudia was overwhelming for him to even consider saying no to her and her whim. A new fledgling could add well to the group.

"I shall give you a sister then my Cherie." Lestat said sighing with a smile to his child. His eyes they seemed to glow and his fangs now exposed struck fear in Lily unlike before. Vampires. They were vampires! As if all of this could not have gotten worse. She debated if she had even a chance of outrunning or outmaneuvering them. Then came the question of where could she go even if she could escape them. She was about two hundred years in the past with no food, money or place to stay. Was death the better option? "You shall feel exhaustion to the brink of death. As your blood drains into my own. Pain will follow but it shall pass and the beauty of your new life shall begin from my blood." 'Oh god he was going to turn me into a vampire!' Her thought screamed. Panic entered human Lily's body her instinct to flee was charging with in her but with feet sunk like stones in water she would not move. Lestat grew closer and closer his hands just hovering above her arms not yet touching the skin. His head inclined to whisper in her ear, all that she would enjoy as his fledgling. Everything from immortal youth, enhanced beauty and talent all would die to have. Silken words that cut her skin as she knew it was a bad bargain. Still her body refused to protest. Lestat's mouth had left her ear and was inclining and descending to her neck. Ready to bite and suck till the skin would break. When the skin breaks the ruby life source would flow drip into his mouth creating euphoria for his senses.

That is what he was expecting. Instead he felt fire and lightning at his core throwing him away from the touch of the girl's skin. He writhed and swore from the short lived pain. Louis stood as statues due in shock and Lily ran ready to flee. She made it to the door before someone caught up to her not letting her go. It was Claudia who had caught and cornered her at the door that was apparently locked.

"Will you play with me?" Claudia asked her point blank. No hidden agenda in her mind or actions. Just a little girl asking for a friend. Lily nodded and followed. Her reason as long as she was with the little girl named Claudia then she may have safety from Lestat. Claudia skipped as the two went to her room. Dolls, tea sets and a large dollhouse littered the floor. But what shocked Lily about the room was the child sized coffin. A white design that did its job. It created sympathy and sadness for the one who was to look at it. Lily had those feelings for little Claudia. She was one of them. A little girl who was cursed to never play out in the sunlight and make friends her own age. She could never grow up or be allowed to fall in love and marry. Her fate was sadder than death. Death doesn't limit your life in large quantities. It just takes it.

"Why do you look so sad?" Claudia asked.

"Just a…a sad thought. Nothing to worry about." Lily looked at the two dolls in her hands and switched the conversation to them. "Do your dolls have names?"

Claudia nodded enthusiastically and sat on her knees. Lilly followed, careful to spread her skirt out in case she had to get up and fetch something for the little girl.

"This is Victoria." She held up a blonde haired doll in a pretty blue dress not that much different from the one Claudia was wearing right now. "And this is Amy." She held up the other one. A red haired doll with a bright yellow dress and had a well painted smile. "Don't tell the others, but I like her the best." Claudia said in a whisper holding out Amy for Lily to see her better.

"She's very pretty." Lily said holding Amy gently. "Hello Amy, I'm Lily. Claudia's big sister." Claudia beamed when she heard Lily say she was her sister. Rapidly the little girl began a game with the dolls and Lily the two played till the doors slammed open to the enraged face of one Lestat de Lioncourt.

"You!" He pointed to Lily. Lily rose not letting herself to appear small and meek to the vampire whose might she knew had to be strong. Instead she stood tall not knowing what it was that backed him off the first time, but was strong enough now to try physically to keep him at bay. No matter how downhill a battle it was to be. "I will enjoy your death." Louis got between Lestat and Lily. His hands upon Lestat's shoulder and Lily's arm. Claudia played her part too and took hold of Lily's wrist showing them her claim on the human girl as her big sister.

Lestat looked at the two members of his 'family' and saw that they had not received any pain from touching her as he had previously.

"How is it that the two of you are not in pain?" Louis looked at where his hand was and was just as surprised to see that he was not yelping in pain as Lestat had done in the parlor. "I wonder." Lestat pushed Louis to the side and with striking force lashed his arm out to snake its way around her back and pull her to him. No sound of pain could be heard yet. "It was a fluke." Lestat said with a devious smile as he was once again drew the pose of transformation. It was with this pose that the pain returned to him. He released her and still the other two had not been harmed by touching her. Lestat was wondering if the pain was all in his head, somehow he had gone mad. But he looked around the girl's neck and saw the strange item she wore.

"What is that trinket around your neck?" Lily knew what he was referring to. Louis only knew that it was something that dealt with voodoo for his slaves had spoken of it once in youth. Lily knew she had to answer him.

"This trinket? Oh you mean this." She pointed to the charm. "This is called a gris-gris. It protects me from harm from forces of this world and the next. At least that is what the one who gave it to me said. Good thing it wasn't snake oil."

"Take it off." Lestat said his bravado back and his air of aristocracy back to add emphasis. Lily being no fool did not answer or move as her little rebellion against the French blood drinker. He was not going to have any of that. "I said to take it off." Again no response. "I repeat only once more and I will explain it to you in ways you can understand what it is that I am ordering you to do. Ordering means telling you to do something and you do it. When I tell you to take something off. It means you take off the offending item and everything will run smoothly. Now take off that offending item that you call gris-gris."

"No." Lestat's eyes reflected the dim light around the room showing a ghastly white flame within his hidden face. A flame that beckoned the call of her mortal heart. His sensual nature gets to all. What can one do? Lily resisted as best she could. Staying strong in keeping the only item she knew that could save her humanity. "No, I will not remove the gris-gris. I will live here. I will not try to run. I will not raise a fuss as best as I can, I will keep your secret of what all of you are and I will be a sister to Claudia. But I will never remove the gris-gris from my person. I feel that is a fair enough arrangement. What about you, Mr. de Pointe du Lac?" All turn to Louis. Lestat had his brow arched and engaging smile ready. Believing that he would agree with him and have the gris-gris thrown from her neck. Louis looked down to the floor to contemplate. He looked at his little daughter Claudia and how her grip remained tight on Lily and her reluctance to see her harmed or leave. Louis knew Claudia would dislike losing her sister and Lily is a human. She will grow old and die if she stays with them. But Lily was frightened of Lestat and becoming a vampire. She may harm herself as one and that would hurt Claudia far more than if she were to simply die. A human connection would be good for them. He wanted to have if only a minor sense a connection to humans again. He made his decision.

"I will allow her to keep the gris-gris on her person. She has not harmed Claudia or me with it and already Claudia has grown attached to her. Besides Lestat think how beneficial it can be to have a human in our house and family." True indeed. A human who could travel in day, to gather things needed without raising fuss. To give keep those who are curious a glance of nothing suspicious going on. And she could be used to gather more wealth for their funds. She wasn't a gorgeous girl. But she had a certain prettiness about her. It was subtle at the first glance, but upon the second hard to look away. A face one would study to see what it was that is attracting them to it. Her hair a caramel coloring hard to come by in these times. Looked soft and inviting to a man. For them to run their hands through in acts of passion Eyes an abundant color that was common and yet comforting. Yes, her prettiness would do well to charm men of status and wealth to her and that would mean food for them and if she should get them to marry her. Wealth shall be bestowed upon them. Yes a human pet would be beneficial.

"I understand the proposal that you have come up with Louis and I agree. We shall allow Claudia's sister to keep her human status. Providing that she is willing to work in order to keep it." Already the devil's bane was present upon Lily's conscious. But she nodded her agreement which was not good enough for Lestat he was a man who desired that his underlings give him respect. Meaning that he wanted more than a head nod. Lily rolling her eyes quickly and said to him that she understood. The two males left the room to leave the girls to their games. They played with the dolls till it was but an hour before sunrise. Louis came in and said it was time for Claudia to get into her coffin for bed. Lily helped Claudia in a nightgown and laid her in her silk lined coffin for bed.

"You'll be here when I wake up, right?" Claudia asked as she gripped Amy tightly in her arms. Her eyes the size of a gentle doe's.

"Don't worry. I promised I wouldn't run away. I will be here when you wake up at sunset tonight. Now you get to sleep young lady." Claudia smiled as she closed her eyes to sleep the sleep of the dead. Lily closed the lid of her coffin and crept as silent as possible out of Claudia's room.

The sun rose steadily in the horizon. Lily closed her eyes as the sun's warmth enveloped her body shattering the fear the night had caused with all of those that dwelled within it. For a moment she forgot that she had somehow ended up hundreds of years in the past that she was taken in by a vampire family in a home that she would remain a prisoner for however long that may be.

The start of life in the vampire home was one of boredom. Since the vampires have to sleep all through the day for fear of sun light killing them and since she knew nothing of the city during this time in history and if she left the house at all she feared that Lestat would claim she had attempted to run out on the deal they had made. She puttered around the home or mansion as it appeared to her. She found things out about these beings. They had fine tastes as each room was decked to the nines in the latest of home décor. They had a love of the arts. Numerous paintings, books and the well maintained piano gave examples to support the fact. The other was that they were higher class American aristocrats and typically homes like this were quite common in order to be well rounded. Still it was a good way to spend time when one had nothing else to do. To her luck there was a kitchen with food stocked. She ate only a small amount throughout the day and then went back to the parlor room she had woken in first. Time ticked on and in that time she found herself drifting into sleep. A sleep not plagued by dreams or nightmares or visions of past or future. As some do in stories such as this. Instead it was a just that sleep. She slept past the moment of the setting sun.

Claudia woke from her coffin eager to plan with her new friend, her sister named Lily. Anticipating her sister to be right outside her coffin her smile was dashed at the sight of no one there. She slowly got out of her coffin and tiptoed around the small patches of light that still remanded from the slowly setting sun and went out into the house. Her guardians were already awake and chatting in the hall about what the rules were to be for their new addition. Each stopped when sight of a sad Claudia set them at par.

"What is the matter Cherie?" Lestat asked bending down to her level so that he was eye level with her.

"Lily is gone." She said her voice sad and falling as she spoke. Lestat looked to Louis to explain who Lily was. Louis told him that Lily is the human he had brought home last night.

"I told you we should have gotten her to yank that nasty charm off! Now we will have to search for her or else she will tell the whole world about us! Then what Louis! Then what?!" Lestat yelled at Louis.

"Calm yourself, Lestat. Claudia are you sure that Lily is gone? Did you look throughout the house?" asked Louis who felt that it was all a misunderstanding that would blow into another witch trial had they listened to Lestat insisting to go after her. Claudia thought back before answering her father.

"I didn't see her when I woke up from my coffin and she said she would be here when I did wake up." Claudia rubbed her eyes as the sleep was still there.

"Well why don't we see if she is in the house first before we say she had left. Alright?" Claudia nodded and Louis and Lestat began the search. It did not last a long period of time nor end in an epic journey to be written for generations to come. No, it did not do those things. For they entered one room, the parlor room where on the lounge seat Lily lay sleeping. Claudia was over joyed at the sight of her sister still home with her. She would have bounded over and rushed to wake her up in order that she may play and have fun, but Louis held her back and told her to let Lily sleep just a little while longer. There was still breakfast to get after all. Louis declined the invitation to join them and instead chose to stay and keep watch of their new addition.

Keep watch more like stalk in a sense as he watched in silent fascination her sleeping form. The rise of her chest and drew in breath and the decent that followed as she realized it. Simple movements that so very long ago he had once done. When he was human. Those days long past him. Days were food was not blood, but meat, cheese, wine and bread. When breath and beating heart kept in sync the pace of life. Inside of him he felt the slight sting of envy that this girl had the power to resist Lestat and his 'gift'. She was able to keep her humanity but for how long? Lestat was not one to give up so easily he will entertain her with time as a human till she felt comfort with her new role. But with the years that were to march on he shall flaunt his youth and beauty, strike envy in her heart that she could attain the same if she were to just give in. Give in to the moments of pain and isolation of being the odd one out and in desperation seek him out to transform her. When that time will come he will have his fun. Toy with her and evade her request till begging she will come and then he shall answer her. The curse will consume her and regret shall follow.

Louis continued to sit and ponder as he stared at the sleeping girl. Till the flutter of her eye lids signaled the arrival of waking. She opened her eyes with a bit of a haze to them. This cleared at the recognition of Louis. Lily rose rapidly, flushed under the circumstances.

"I hope you slept well. You nearly caused a stir." Lily did not respond. "When you had not appeared outside Claudia's coffin, she grew saddened. She thought that you had fled from us during the day."

"I would be telling a lie had I not thought about doing so. But I gave my word that I would not leave. Therefore I am bound to stay. I apologize for causing a stir in the household. I had meant to wake before sunset. I was just so tired and I am not use to stay up all through the night and most of the day."

"I understand. Be glad that Lestat was subdued to listen to reason. They should be back soon. In the meantime I shall explain what you need to know. The role you are to play in this household." Lily sat upright more so than before. As her corset was chaffing her and that was the only way to relive it. "The first and foremost role you are to hold is being Claudia's sister. Play games with her, love her as you would family and teach her the role of a woman." Lily took this cue to ask a question.

"Pardon the interruption, but I need to ask this. What is the point of teaching a child that will never grow up the roles of growing up?" Louis had expected such a question and his answer was simple.

"She is to be taught the role of a woman and that is all I will say on the subject. There are still other roles that you must play. Roles for the daylight and for the night. Already there is talk going on about what a mystery we are because none of the house minus the servants is seen during the day. I hope that you are able to figure out what you must do in that case."

"I should be seen in daylight and lay to rest the curious minds."

"Good. You understand the role of day. For the night you have two roles. One is the role of sister to Claudia. The other is to be a lure."


End file.
